Shaft-guard.



E. S. GROSS.

SHAFT GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. 1916.

1,209,959. Patented Dec. 26,1916.

tiniinn @TATE d PATENT FFTQE,

ELIVIER S. GROSS, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

SHAFT-GUARD.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER S. GRoss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shaft- Guards, ofv which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to devices for protecting persons from contact with revolving shafting or other revolving bodies of like character, and particularly to devices adapted to be placed upon the shafts themselves and which will act as shields or guards so as to protect the clothing of a person from getting caught on the shaft.

The danger from revolving shafts is very well known. 1 Many accidents occur every year due to unprotected shafting, but it is usually supposed that a perfectly smooth shaft without projections, set screws, bolt heads or key-ways, is relatively safe, but I have found by experience that the pitohy scale composed of oil and dust on the shaft is sufficient to frictionally engage the clothing of a workman and to wind the clothing upon. the shaft and that even a perfectly cleanpolished shaft will engage and wind articles of clothing thereon. These perfectly clean shafts are particularly a dangerous, therefore, for the reason that a workman will take more chances with a smooth shaft than he will with one which has projections and is therefore more liable to be caught and injured-by these shafts than by shafts which are apparently more dangerous.

The general object of my invention is to provide a verysimple, cheap and effective means for safe-guarding the lives of those working around revolving shafting or other revolving bodies, and particularly to pro vide a device which may be attached to line shafting or end shafting, which may be readily applied, readily removed, which is very cheap and which will positively preventthe contact of the workmens clothing 7 with the shaft itself.

Afurther object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which surroundsthe shaft and forms a shield and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1.916.

Application filed May 29, 1916. Serial No. 100,644.

which while rotating with the shaft under normal conditions is held from rotation by any pressure brought against it.

Still another object is to so construct this protecting shield that it will relatively closely embrace the shaft so that there is no chance of the clothing being drawn into the space between the shield and the shaft itself.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device which may be applied to the ends of shafting to cover the ends, and in this connection to attach it to the end shafting by means of a screw or other fastening device which will permit its free rotation relative to the shafting.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a section of line shafting with my protector applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the end of a shaft showing my protector applied thereto; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the shaft and protector; Fig. 5 is an end view of the shafting and protector; Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are fragmentary longitudinal sectional views of the shaft ends showing different ways of mounting the protector upon the shaft end.

Referring now to Fig. 1, 10 designates a line shafting which for the purpose of illustration is shown as carrying a pulley 11 and as being mounted in a hanger 12. Disposed around this shaft 10 is a coil of soft wire designated 13. This wire is shown at one end as bearing against the pulley 11 and at the other end as hearing against a split collar 14 which is loosely mounted upon the shaft. The coil of wire 13 embraces the shaft closely and normally rotates therewith. Preferably the space between the coils is equal to the width of the wire used in making the coils, but other proportions may be used. Preferably, also, in order to give freedom to the coil, the coil is cut at one or more points as at 15. This wire coil is put 'on the shaft in one continuous piece, that is,

one continuous coil extending between two pulleys or two hangers or between a pulley and a hanger. The coil is then cut into sections, as at 15, the-purpose oftliuscutting it being to cause the coils to be more 'free on the shaft. This coil, or coils, provides for instance, the workman leaning over coil. The purpose of the split collar 14 is to prevent any frictional engagement between the hanger 12 and the extremity of the coil and to preventthe coil from-cutting into =-the 1 hanger." The coil will preferably have a slight tension. on the ends-just enough to keep itfrom-rattli-ng'or causingany noise. It will be obvious now that-if a 'workman comesin contact with .the 1 coil and; bears against the shaft, the'coilwill be held from rotation I and will support the" workmans clothing away from the face of the shaft and thus establish perfect safety for the workman;

While in-Fig. 1, I-.haveillustra'ted my 1n ventionjas applied to a line shaft, it is also equally applicable to the iEl'lClS-Of ShzlfbS. Thus for instance, in Fig: 3,- lhave shown the end of the shaft 16; The extremity-of this shaft'is-bo-red, as at 17, for engagement by a screw 18 having a relatively large head; A washer-19 is placedupon the end of the shaft and this washer has a central bushing or hub 20 which'acts' as -a-.spacer. The coil 21 which is'of soft wire and whichmay'be of any length desired-,1 extends spirally around the shaft in more' or lessintimate contact: therewith, land at'its outer extremity the coil is bent, as at 22, so as toextend across theenclof the shaft'tothe center thereof and then is formed with an eye 23 which embr-acesthe bushing 20. It will thus be seen-that while the'screw 18 mayrevolve with the shaft,the'coil does'not necessarily revolve with the shaft but'that' ifpressure be brought upon the coil it will beheld from such rotation and act in eXactly'the'same manner-as the coil heretofore 'dGSCI'lbBCl. I

have illustrated the screw 18 as. a safety shoulder spacings the head of thescrew'ifrom 1 the'end'of'the shaftz In Fig." S1 show the construction which must be used where a lathe" center is found inthe end of ashafting. In this'case a thin metal bushing '25 must be cut the proper length and disposed around the screw so as to establish the proper-distance between: the-face of the shaft. andithe'zinner "face; of the screw? head. This adjustment of the screw should be accuratelymade soas to. avoid any noise by the end washer 26 and the coil. These end coils, as above described, may be made and carried the .in. stock, but the coils which are disposed shaft with his .-clothingin contact ,w1th ,the-

upon line shafting should be coiled 01143116 shaft in place. This, however, is such a simple'niatter thatthecost of material and labor prevent belts from being burned in case=they run off from' a'pulley" and'all'owed to hang on the shaft for any" length. of time: The use of this" sleeve form'ed'-'o'f the coil of wire is not confined to shafting "but may be ap plied to any revolving .body*such as-csha'ft couplings;- drums; etc. The floating sleeve 5 Y may also be 'eonstruc'tedof other material than wire, but '1='regard'- wire as-*being"best for thisp'urpose and asfbeing particularly cheap and convenient to install; It will be seen' that this-protector "or shieldtakes -'up no shop space as "do-many other safety guards, it needs no other -'Supp t;

shafting; and in case I an additional-pulley is to be puton the 'shaftalready equipped with the coiled" sleeve-it is only necessary-to cut a portion of the-coil out-at the proper point'. It will be 'seen-that-this -sleeve does not "in terfere' with the "access to the shaft, *tliat it takesup no-valuable'room, but that it'pro= vides an'absolute guard .which is; as itniay be termed, automatically thrown into operation the 'minute it is needed; As it "normally :revolves with the shaftingf'it doesnot interfere with the power delivered "by the shafting Having described the invention'fwhat'il claiinis: V r

1. The combination-witha shaft end, of la protector comprising aclosely coiled sleeve surrounding the shaft" end, "almeinber proj ecting' from the axial center of the shaft end, the extremityof the icoil formingfthe sleeve being "rotatably engaged with-" said member.

2. Thec'ombination'"with a shaft ma es l 'and -formedwith an eye, and a fastening" de- 'vice'passing loosely throughitheeye' an'd'into engagement withthe'shaft at its axialieenter. 3; 'Thecombination with a" shaft erid,"of a V protector therefor comprising" a coil' of 'soft wire loosely'surrounding the shaft, "one end "of the wire'beufgxbent across the shaft end and formed with aneye, "and a screw passing into the shaft at its axial center, the In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my screw having a head, the screw passing signature in the presence of two witnesses.

through the eye of the coil, and means being ELMER S. GROSS. provided to space the head from the end of Witnesses:

5 the shaft to permit the free rotation of the LE FORSYTH,

coil with relation to the screw and shaft. T. J. SoMERs.

iiopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

